Toulouse v Leinster 21.10.18 | 15:15 Local KO | BT Sport 3 | Preview & Match Thread

Buer

Buer wrote: »

It was a great game. I expect most people really enjoyed it.

Maybe I'm being precious

.ak

Absolutely brilliant game, even being on the wrong end of the result. Leinster not at their best for the first 20 killed us, despite some poor officiating calls, Toulouse played out of their skin... Got some real danger men in the backline.

Pity this wasn't the December back to back fixture!

.ak

Clegg wrote: »

The intercept looks worse and worse for McGrath every time you watch. He telegraphed what he was going to do so much.

Maybe, but can't help but feel they did their homework on him, the Toulouse player was running diagonal across the pitch he knew exactly what was going to happen before McGrath moved with the ball.

.ak

.ak wrote: »

Maybe, but can't help but feel they did their homework on him, the Toulouse player was running diagonal across the pitch he knew exactly what was going to happen before McGrath moved with the ball.

Yeah that was my take on it, it was a great read and like much of what Toulouse did yesterday it was high risk, had Leinster kept possession he'd left a big gap for us to run though.

Toulouse played right at the edge for the 80 minutes, they got the breaks that were going and a few early calls from Barnes but they had Leinster well figured out in advance.

Awful lot of learning for a few of the squad after a game like that.

Buer

.ak wrote: »

Maybe, but can't help but feel they did their homework on him, the Toulouse player was running diagonal across the pitch he knew exactly what was going to happen before McGrath moved with the ball.

Noticed that. As soon as McGrath picked it, he shot across. He was about the third man out on the defensive line; it looked very deliberate and rehearsed.

Great try and effort from him but hard to stomach conceding when in that position with the game in the balance. If we had moved that, I think we were going to go deep into their 22.

It's not on a par with Northampton in 2013 but it still hurt.

molloyjh

Buer wrote: »

It was a great game. I expect most people really enjoyed it.

Yep, absolute cracker. I don't think I stopped saying that all game either, albeit not here. I'm obviously disappointed by the result, but that doesn't change the fact that I loved watching 2 quality teams go hammer and tongs for 80 minutes like that.

long_b

Shot through the heart
...

[Deleted User] wrote: »

You give Munster supporters a bad name

.ak

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah that was my take on it, it was a great read and like much of what Toulouse did yesterday it was high risk, had Leinster kept possession he'd left a big gap for us to run though.

Toulouse played right at the edge for the 80 minutes, they got the breaks that were going and a few early calls from Barnes but they had Leinster well figured out in advance.

Awful lot of learning for a few of the squad after a game like that.

Yeah, in a weird way Cullen almost seemed to be happy about this, had a bit of a wry smile throughout the post-match interview. Everyone and their mother knows the quality of the squad, but as a coach you'll learn a lot more from yesterday than you do from trashing Wasps in the RDS.

If we were going to lose, a 1 point loss in France isn't the worst way either... Wasps and Bath away will both we tough fixtures but you'd imagine they'll be somewhat less interested.

Buer

.ak wrote: »

If we were going to lose, a 1 point loss in France isn't the worst way either... Wasps and Bath away will both we tough fixtures but you'd imagine they'll be somewhat less interested.

With three runners up spots on offer for qualification, Bath are going to be well up for it. 4 points in the bag right now. They're rank outsiders for qualification but they'll very much be concentrating on getting a win in that game and, if they get lads like Faletau back, it's going to be more of a battle than some think, I reckon.

.ak

.ak wrote: »

Yeah, in a weird way Cullen almost seemed to be happy about this, had a bit of a wry smile throughout the post-match interview. Everyone and their mother knows the quality of the squad, but as a coach you'll learn a lot more from yesterday than you do from trashing Wasps in the RDS.

If we were going to lose, a 1 point loss in France isn't the worst way either... Wasps and Bath away will both we tough fixtures but you'd imagine they'll be somewhat less interested.

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic but my first thought after the game was that the result would really stand to them. October is incredibly early in the season to be getting the kind of press which they were and it worried me that we could have arrived at the knock out stages without really being tested properly.

This was always going to be the tough fixture, I think we'll account for Bath and Wasps away - though Wasps will throw the kitchen sink at us after the result in the RDS.

I can't bring myself to worry too much about Bath, just don't rate them.

Clegg

One of my main take aways from yesterdays game is that Maxime Medard is only 31.

WTF I thought he was like 38.

Phonehead

I'm actually pretty ok with that loss, In fact I almost welcome it. The players got a good reminder that being off your best against a quality outfit who raise their game can result in a loss. Frankly if I was Saracens or Racing I'd be cursing Toulouse, the chances of catching Leinster cold has greatly diminished.

troyzer

Phonehead wrote: »

I'm actually pretty ok with that loss, In fact I almost welcome it. The players got a good reminder that being off your best against a quality outfit who raise their game can result in a loss. Frankly if I was Saracens or Racing I'd be cursing Toulouse, the chances of catching Leinster cold has greatly diminished.

100% agree.

As long as we still get a home semi final.......

Bridge93

While obviously disappointed with the result and it’s possible ramifications, that game was a reminder for why I started playing rugby when I was younger. And it may be a flash in the pan, but hopefully we just saw the spark to reignite Toulouse as a power. Club rugby is a better place with them firing

PhlegmyMoses

Just on McGrath, Toulouse played a very smart game with him yesterday. They spent the game lying on rucks, not rolling away and coming back onside late and across his passing lines. It knocked him off kilter and led to errors. A good learning experience for him. I was thinking as I was watching that a more experienced player like Murray would have milked them dry for pens

awec

I think McGrath was knackered, and his passing slowed as a result. Suffered from Leinster having nobody on the bench they could trust to come on and do the business.

scott1974

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

Just on McGrath, Toulouse played a very smart game with him yesterday. They spent the game lying on rucks, not rolling away and coming back onside late and across his passing lines. It knocked him off kilter and led to errors. A good learning experience for him. I was thinking as I was watching that a more experienced player like Murray would have milked them dry for pens

There was one stage the No.8 stood up froma ruck on the wrong side, right in front of McGrath and Barnes just let him.. it was close to their line and slowed the ball right down... but yeah McGrath should have made more of it. It was a stonewall penalty.

The Lost Sheep

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

Just on McGrath, Toulouse played a very smart game with him yesterday. They spent the game lying on rucks, not rolling away and coming back onside late and across his passing lines. It knocked him off kilter and led to errors. A good learning experience for him. I was thinking as I was watching that a more experienced player like Murray would have milked them dry for pens

Toulouse did to McGrath what Leinster do very regularly and do very well to many opposition 9s as they dont get penalised for it all too often

Shefwedfan

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

Just on McGrath, Toulouse played a very smart game with him yesterday. They spent the game lying on rucks, not rolling away and coming back onside late and across his passing lines. It knocked him off kilter and led to errors. A good learning experience for him. I was thinking as I was watching that a more experienced player like Murray would have milked them dry for pens

Barnes had a chat with Toulouse captain. Told him at one stage for every ruck the Leinster players got out of the way but if Toulouse players all got in the way.....


I thought that would be end of it, but after the warning he just let it continue not saying Barnes is to blame or anything I just found it strange....normally if he is hot on something he will ping you off the park for it all game....maybe he has relaxed in old age

Buer

awec wrote: »

I think McGrath was knackered, and his passing slowed as a result. Suffered from Leinster having nobody on the bench they could trust to come on and do the business.

This is true and it's an issue. I don't think it was the specific reason he threw that intercept but it contributed to an all round diminished showing. Scrum half is the position that often covers more ground than any player on the field which is why it has become the standard to replace them between 50-60 minutes.

With the foreign player situation, Leinster don't have someone they can trust to bring in unless they select JGP. Dupont came on after 54 minutes for Toulouse and made a big impact (he hurt us 3 years ago when we faced Castres too). If Leinster had a similar option or JGP available, we may well have managed to close it out or at least give us a real threat when we were chasing the game.

prawnsambo

scott1974 wrote: »

There was one stage the No.8 stood up froma ruck on the wrong side, right in front of McGrath and Barnes just let him.. it was close to their line and slowed the ball right down... but yeah McGrath should have made more of it. It was a stonewall penalty.

I think on one occasion, Barnes got in his way and he had to go the other way.

Trojan

Just catching up with myself after the trip to Toulouse. Definitely the most enjoyable time I've been to a losing game. Fabulous fans. Incredible atmosphere. I was there with my SO, just two of us Leinster fans with a thousand of the Toulousain around us (there were other small pockets around, but none near us). The six huge drums were to our left, the dodgy brass band to our right. Great banter with the locals in dodgy French (after the first penalty) "Wasps, ils ont aussi 3 points" and "Vous etes deux fois meilleur que Wasps" went down a treat. We got some good roars in, but totally overpowered once they started into their chants. We had lunch with LeHuit beforehand, and a beer or two afterward under the stands.

I haven't seen the game on TV, if anyone has a link to a full version, please send it on.

errlloyd

Trojan wrote: »

Just catching up with myself after the trip to Toulouse. Definitely the most enjoyable time I've been to a losing game. Fabulous fans. Incredible atmosphere. I was there with my SO, just two of us Leinster fans with a thousand of the Toulousain around us (there were other small pockets around, but none near us). The six huge drums were to our left, the dodgy brass band to our right. Great banter with the locals in dodgy French (after the first penalty) "Wasps, ils ont aussi 3 points" and "Vous etes deux fois meilleur que Wasps" went down a treat. We got some good roars in, but totally overpowered once they started into their chants. We had lunch with LeHuit beforehand, and a beer or two afterward under the stands.

I haven't seen the game on TV, if anyone has a link to a full version, please send it on.

I'd echo everything you said here.

We must have been in the other corner to you, drums were on our right but we were surrounded by Toulouse fans. Didn't leave the ground till 5 hours after the final whistle.

Excellent city, wonderful fans. I am still in a heap from all the drink.

Trojan

errlloyd wrote: »

I'd echo everything you said here.

We must have been in the other corner to you, drums were on our right but we were surrounded by Toulouse fans. Didn't leave the ground till 5 hours after the final whistle.

Excellent city, wonderful fans. I am still in a heap from all the drink.

As Leinster fans, we have a high bar to meet when they come visiting in January

Shefwedfan

Trojan wrote: »

As Leinster fans, we have a high bar to meet when they come visiting in January

We will welcome them with overpriced cr*ppy warm beer, overpriced hotels....poor wine, poor food and cold weather....Vive le Dublin

They will get to see some good rugby

FreudianSlippers

Don't think I've ever had a warm beer in the RDS or Aviva

Shefwedfan

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

Don't think I've ever had a warm beer in the RDS or Aviva

When you take your cans out of your jacket they are never chilled correctly :P

OldRio

Shefwedfan wrote: »

When you take your cans out of your jacket they are never chilled correctly :P

Don't you have staff for this sort of thing?